Carbureter



no 110mm.

PATENTED JAN. 26, 1904. W. L. SEVERANGE.

GARBURETER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES Patented January 26, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CARBURETER.

SPECIFICATION forming-part of Letters Patent N0. 750,311, dated January26, 1904.

Application filed March 18, 1903. Serial No. 148,422. (NomodeL) T0 aZZwhom it may concern:

Be it known that LWALLAoE L. S VEEANOE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Freeport, in the county of Stephenson and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful Oarbureter, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to carbureters, and more particularly to that typeof carbureters in which a hydrocarbonof suitable density is distributedover the surface of a number of sheets of absorbent material from whichit is taken up by-air which is forced through the apparatus and causedto pass over the sheets saturated with the hydrocarbon.

The principal objects of the inventionare to produce a carbureter ofsimple construction in which no considerable quantity of hydrocarbonliquid is ever allowed to stand, thereby preventing the deposit ofsediment in the carbureter; to make the gases produced by the carbureteruniform in quality at all times, thus obviating the need of a separateair-mixer; to reduce to a minimum the quantity of hydrocarbon liquidnecessary for the operation of the apparatus; to make an apparatus whichwill yield gas of uniform quality from different grades of hydrocarbons,and to improve generally the construction of devices of the classdescribed.

In attaining the objects above stated I make use of the construction andcombination of parts of a carbureter hereinafter described, and shown inthe accompanying drawings, in which corresponding parts are indicated bythe same characters of reference throughout the different views.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section through the carbureterand elevator in a plane parallel to the vertical partition. Fig. 2 is avertical section in a plane transverse to the vertical partition. Fig. 3is a horizontal section showing in one side one of the perforatedhorizontal partitions and in the other the arrangement of the absorbentcurtains over which the hydrocarbon is distributed. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the carbureter with the elevator detached and withthe horizontal partitions and pipes for distributing the hydrocarbonfluid indicated in dotted lines.

Broadly, stated, the invention consists of an apparatus containing aseries of chambers through which air ,is caused to pass successively,each chamber being provided with vertically-disposed curtains, of clothor other suitable absorbent material, over which the hydrocarbon isdistributed by feeding devices at the top of each chamber, and means forsupplying the hydrocarbon to said chambers and ourtains and withdrawing.from the bottom of the apparatus any excess of hydrocarbon not absorbedby the absorbentcurtains.

The apparatus hereinafter described and shown in. the accompanyingdrawings is of suitable size and capacity for supplying, when producinga maximum quantity of gas, twentyfive gas-burners and a gas-range of theaverage size for private houses; but it is obvious that the inventionmay be applied to carbureters of larger or smaller capacity by merelyincreasing or decreasing the size ofthe apparatus and the number ofcarbureting-chambers therein.

Referring to. the drawings by reference characters, 1 designates theouter casing of the carbureter, which is-a rectangular parallele--pipedon,-as shown in the drawings, of almost cubical form, butwhich maybe of any preferred contour.

2 2 are carbureting-chambers separated by perforated horizontalpartitions 3 3 from each other and from the shallow gas-chamber 2 at thetop of the carbureter.

4 4 4. &c., are sheets of felt disposed just below the perforated plates3 3 and preferably having small folds orplaits, as shown, though theymay be flat, if desired. Immediately below the sheets of felt 4 arewires 5, disposed longitudinally of each carburetingchamber and suitablyfastened at the ends to the other casing 1, as by soldering. On each ofthe wires 5 is suspended-a centrally-folded curtain,of cloth,of anysuitable texture, which is adapted, to absorb any hydrocarbon ofsuitable density for making illuminating-gas by mixing withits vapor aproper proportion of air. These cloth curtains, which are designated bythe numeral 6, extend down fromthe wires almost to the bottom of eachcarbureting-chamber, leaving a little space below them for thedistribution of hydrocarbon over the bottom of the chamber for thepurpose which will be hereinafter explained.

7 designates a supply-pipe having branches 8 8 terminating in perforatedportions 9 9 over the perforated partitions 2 2, as shown in thedrawings. The supply-pipe 7 may be closed with any suitable closure, asa screwcap, (not shown,) but in the preferred form it will be connectedwith a chamber 10 through an outlet-pipe 11 with afunnel-shaped upperextremity 12, into which hydrocarbon liquid is discharged from anelevator 13,'hereinafter more fully described.

At the bottom of the carbureter is provided an outlet-pipe 15, which hasa valve 16 of any suitable construction. The outlet-pipe 15 in thepreferred form of the invention communicates with a chamber 17 locatedbelow the level of the bottom of the carbureter, which serves as areservoir for the hydrocarbonliquid and in which is mounted the lowerportion" of the elevator 13, above mentioned.

At 18 is provided an inlet for the air, which is forced through thecarbureter by any suitable form of apparatus for that purpose, and at 19is provided a gas-eduction pipe from which gas. is distributed throughthe various burners.

It will be observed that atone end the per forated plates 3 3 betweenthe upper and lower carbureting-chambers extend completely to the end ofthecarbureter, while at the other end a space is left between the endsof the perforated plates and the casing-wall of the carbureter, and atthe end of the carbureter opposite that at which said space is providedthe vertical partition between the two lower carburetingchambers doesnot extend completely to the casing-wall. In this way air-passages areleft from chamber to chamber, and the air which enters at 18 passesthrough the chamber into which the inlet opens downward into the chamberbelow, thence into the adjacent chamber by passing around the end ofthevertical partition, and finally into the upper chamber adjacent thatfirst entered, whence it escapes through the gas-eduction pipe 19 asgas.

The elevator 13 is of the ordinary chain-andbucket type inclosed in asuitable casing, as shown, to prevent the escape of the hydrocarbon byevaporation and is driven by a pulley 20, mounted on the lower shaft 21,on which is mounted one of the wheels 22, over which the chain 23, withthe bucket 25 mounted thereon, travels. The upper wheel 26 is mounted ona short shaft 27 journaled in the side walls of the chamber 10. Thepulley 20 is to be connected by abelt with a pulley of the same diameterprovided on the shaft of the blower or other apparatus for forcing airthrough the carbureter, the object of this driving mechanism being toinsure a speed in the elevator which shall at all times be proportionateto that of apparatus.

the air-forcing apparatus, thus making the amount of hydrocarbon carriedup by the ele- A vator and discharged through the supply-pipe into thecarbureter proportional to the quantity of air forced through thecarbureter by the blower or" other forcing apparatus. (Not shown.) j

The operation of the invention in preferred form is as follows: Ahydrocarbon liquid of any suitable densitysuch as gasolene, naphtha,benzol, or the like is poured into the chamber 17 one gallon beingsufiicient for the apparatus hereinbefore described, and, if desired, tomake the apparatus operate immediately an additional quantity ofhydrocarbon may be poured into the funnel-shaped upper portion 12 at theend of the pipe 11, which connects with the supply-pipe 7. Thisadditional supply will be at once distributed through the branches 8 and9 of the supplypipe to the perforated plates 3, over which it willspread and pass downward through the perforations therein, so saturatingthe sheets of felt 4 and the vertical curtains 6. The airforcingapparatus is set in motion and air is caused to pass through thecarbureter-chambers in the order previously explained, thus bringing theair into contact with-a large surface of cloth saturated with thehydrocarbon, and so causing thorough admixture of hydrocarbon vapor withthe air passing through the If no hydrocarbon is poured directly intothe supply-pipe 7 as above described, some time will be required for theelevator 13, which is set in operation simultaneously with theair-forcing apparatus, to discharge a sufficient quantity of hydrocarbonthrough the supply-pipe to saturate all the absorbent material, and gaswill not be produced at once; but if the absorbent material is saturatedbefore the air is forced through I the apparatus the production of gaswill be practically instantaneous, and only a few moments will elapsebefore a gas sufiiciently rich for illuminating purposes or fuel will beobtainable at the'eduction-pipe 19.

If the additional expense of the elevator 13 is objectionable, theapparatus may be operated by supplying hydrocarbon at suitable intervalsthrough the supply-pipe 7, which then has its end closed by any suitableform of closure instead of being connected with the pipe 11, extendingfrom the chamber 10, and the outlet-pipe 15 will then discharge into theair instead of into the chamber 17, and the valve 16 will be useful todetect the presence of any accumulation of hydrocarbon in the bottom ofthe carbureter. It will of course be understood that with the elevator13 attached and the hydrocarbon supply pipe and outlet pipe connectingtherewith the valve may be omitted, as there will be no need therefor,the action at thehydrocarbon supply and outlet apparatus beingautomatic.

After the carbureter has been supplied with hydrocarbon and air forcedthrough it until the pipes supplied by it have been filled with gas thesupply of gas may be made continuous as long as a sufficient quantity ofhydrocarbon is contained in the chamber 17 and the action of thecarbureter and air-forcing apparatus will automatically adjust itself tothe demand for gas, for when the gas-eduction pipe 19 is closed, so thatno gas can escape through it, the airforcing apparatus will be stoppedand no air can pass through the carbureter; but as soon as the pipe 19is opened to permit the passage of gas there through air will be forcedthrough the carbureter in the usual manner and the quantity of airforced through will depend upon the freedom with which gas passesthrough the pipe 19.

A special advantage ofthe construction described which has nothereinbefore been pointed out is that as all the hydrocarbon forvaporization is distributed over the said absorbent material in thecarbureter and none is allowed to stand upon the bottom of the apparatusor in pans therein the maximum amount of vaporization from a givenquantity of hydrocarbon in a given time is obtained, and con: seq uentlyit is unnecessary to have at any time in the apparatus more than a smallamount of the hydrocarbon. This feature is of importance, because itdiminishes the probability of explosions to a minimum, making it safe tokeep the apparatus in the basement or cellar of a house, thus protectingit and prolonging the usefulness of the apparatus.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A carbureter having superposed chambers separated by perforatedhorizontal partitions, absorbent material suspended under saidpartitions, and an inlet-pipe for the hydrocarbon liquid at the top ofthe uppermost bers separated by perforated horizontal partitions,absorbent material suspended under said partitions, a hydrocarbon-inletpipe at the top of the uppermost chamber, an outletpipe at the bottom ofthe lowermost chamber,

and passages connecting the chambers so arranged that air may be passedthrough all of the chambers successively.

3-. A carbureter having aplurality of carbureting-chambers,vertically-disposed curtains of absorbent material suspended in saidchambers, a perforated distributer-plate disposed above said curtains,and a hydrocarbonsupply pipe provided with perforations at intervalsthroughout its length extending over said distributer-plate.

4. A carbureter having a plurality of carbureting-chambers arranged insuperposed tiers,- perforated distributer-plates over each tier ofchambers, a hydrocarbon-supply pipe at the top of the carbureter havingperforated branches disposed over each distributer-platc, andvertically-disposed absorbent curtains in each chamber belowthedistributer-plates.

5. A carbureter having a carbureting-chamber provided at its top with aperforated distributer-plate, a layer of absorbent material beneath saidplate and substantially parallel therewith, and vertically-disposedabsorbent curtains suspended beneath said layer of absorbent material.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myown I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WALLACE L. SEVERANCE.

